Toner case and image forming apparatus including the same

Abstract

A toner case includes a case main body and a cleaning member. The case main body is capable of containing a toner supplied to an image forming part arranged inside an apparatus main body and is attachable to and detachable from a supplying attachment part of the apparatus main body along an attachment and detachment direction. The cleaning member is arranged at an outer circumferential face of the case main body. The case main body rotates inside the supplying attachment part in a first direction so as to convey the toner toward a communicating port formed at a first side in the attachment and detachment direction. The cleaning member rotates integrally with the case main body in the first direction so as to clean an inner circumferential face of the supplying attachment part.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A toner case comprising:
 a case main body which is capable of containing a toner supplied to an image forming part arranged inside an apparatus main body and is attachable to and detachable from a supplying attachment part of the apparatus main body along an attachment and detachment direction; and 
 a cleaning member arranged at an outer circumferential face of the case main body, 
 wherein the case main body rotates inside the supplying attachment part in a first direction so as to convey the toner toward a communicating port formed at a first side in the attachment and detachment direction, and 
 in a state that the cleaning member is in contact with an inner circumferential face of the supplying attachment part, the cleaning member rotates integrally with the case main body in the first direction so as to clean the inner circumferential face of the supplying attachment part. 
 
     
     
       2. The toner case according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the case main body is capable of containing a toner discharged from the image forming part and is attachable to and detachable from a collecting attachment part of the apparatus main body, and 
 the case main body rotates inside the collecting attachment part in a second direction so as to convey a toner introduced via the communicating port toward a second side in the attachment and detachment direction, and 
 in a state that the cleaning member is in contact with an inner circumferential face of the collecting attachment part, the cleaning member rotates integrally with the case main body in the second direction so as to clean the inner circumferential face of the collecting attachment part. 
 
     
     
       3. The toner case according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the case main body is formed in a cylindrical shape elongated in the attachment and detachment direction, and 
 the cleaning member is cylindrically wound around at least a first side part in the attachment and detachment direction of the case main body and holds a collected toner. 
 
     
     
       4. The toner case according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the case main body is formed in a cylindrical shape elongated in the attachment and detachment direction, and 
 the cleaning member is spirally wound around at least a first side part in the attachment and detachment direction of the case main body, and 
 the cleaning member rotates in the first direction so as to collect a toner to the first side in the attachment and detachment direction and rotates in a second direction so as to collect the toner to a second side in the attachment and detachment direction. 
 
     
     
       5. The toner case according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the case main body includes: 
 a large diameter cylinder part; 
 a small diameter cylinder part formed with a smaller diameter than the large diameter cylinder part and arranged at the first side in the attachment and detachment direction of the large diameter cylinder part; and 
 a stepped part formed between the large diameter cylinder part and the small diameter cylinder part, and 
 the cleaning member is wound around an outer circumferential face of the small diameter cylinder part, and 
 a thickness of the cleaning member is greater than a thickness of the stepped part. 
 
     
     
       6. The toner case according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cover member configured to cover an opening part arranged at an end face of the case main body,
 wherein the cover member includes the communicating port. 
 
     
     
       7. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 the toner case according to  claim 1 , and 
 the image forming part arranged inside the apparatus main body. 
 
     
     
       8. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 the toner case according to  claim 4 , and 
 the image forming part arranged inside the apparatus main body, 
 wherein the case main body is attachable to and detachable from a collecting attachment part of the apparatus main body, and 
 at least one of the supplying attachment part and the collecting attachment part includes a storing part to store the toner collected by the cleaning member. 
 
     
     
       9. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the case main body includes: 
 a large diameter cylinder part; 
 a small diameter cylinder part formed with a smaller diameter than the large diameter cylinder part and arranged at the first side in the attachment and detachment direction of the large diameter cylinder part; 
 a cylindrical piece formed with a smaller diameter than the small diameter cylinder part and arranged at the first side in the attachment and detachment direction of the small diameter cylinder part; 
 a first stepped part formed between the large diameter cylinder part and the small diameter cylinder part; and 
 a second stepped part formed between the small diameter cylinder part and the cylindrical piece, and 
 the storing part is formed at the supplying attachment part so that the storing part faces the second stepped part. 
 
     
     
       10. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the case main body includes: 
 a large diameter cylinder part; 
 a small diameter cylinder part formed with a smaller diameter than the large diameter cylinder part and arranged at the first side in the attachment and detachment direction of the large diameter cylinder part; 
 a cylindrical piece formed with a smaller diameter than the small diameter cylinder part and arranged at the first side in the attachment and detachment direction of the small diameter cylinder part; 
 a first stepped part formed between the large diameter cylinder part and the small diameter cylinder part; and 
 a second stepped part formed between the small diameter cylinder part and the cylindrical piece, and 
 the storing part is formed at the collecting attachment part so that the storing part faces the first stepped part. 
 
     
     
       11. A toner case comprising:
 a case main body which is capable of containing a toner supplied to an image forming part arranged inside an apparatus main body or a toner discharged from the image forming part and is attachable to and detachable from a supplying attachment part of the apparatus main body or a collecting attachment part of the apparatus main body along an attachment and detachment direction; and 
 a cleaning member arranged at an outer circumferential face of the case main body, 
 wherein the case main body rotates inside the supplying attachment part in a first direction so as to convey the toner toward a supplying port formed at a first side in the attachment and detachment direction, and 
 the case main body rotates inside the collecting attachment part in a second direction so as to convey a toner introduced via a collecting port formed at the first side in the attachment and detachment direction toward a second side in the attachment and detachment direction, 
 in a state that the cleaning member is in contact with an inner circumferential face of the supplying attachment part, the cleaning member rotates integrally with the case main body in the first direction so as to clean the inner circumferential face of the supplying attachment part, and 
 in a state that the cleaning member is in contact with an inner circumferential face of the collecting attachment part, the cleaning member rotates integrally with the case main body in the second direction so as to clean the inner circumferential face of the collecting attachment part. 
 
     
     
       12. The toner case according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the case main body is formed in a cylindrical shape elongated in the attachment and detachment direction, and 
 the cleaning member is cylindrically wound around at least a first side part in the attachment and detachment direction of the case main body and holds a collected toner. 
 
     
     
       13. The toner case according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the case main body is formed in a cylindrical shape elongated in the attachment and detachment direction, and 
 the cleaning member is spirally wound around at least a first side part in the attachment and detachment direction of the case main body, and 
 the cleaning member rotates in the first direction so as to collect a toner to the first side in the attachment and detachment direction and rotates in the second direction so as to collect the toner to the second side in the attachment and detachment direction. 
 
     
     
       14. The toner case according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the case main body includes: 
 a large diameter cylinder part; 
 a small diameter cylinder part formed with a smaller diameter than the large diameter cylinder part and arranged at the first side in the attachment and detachment direction of the large diameter cylinder part; and 
 a stepped part formed between the large diameter cylinder part and the small diameter cylinder part, and 
 the cleaning member is wound around an outer circumferential face of the small diameter cylinder part, and 
 a thickness of the cleaning member is greater than a thickness of the stepped part. 
 
     
     
       15. The toner case according to  claim 11 , further comprising a cover member configured to cover an opening part arranged at an end face of the case main body,
 wherein the cover member includes the supplying port and the collecting port. 
 
     
     
       16. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 the toner case according to  claim 11 , and 
 the image forming part arranged inside the apparatus main body. 
 
     
     
       17. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 the toner case according to  claim 13 , and 
 the image forming part arranged inside the apparatus main body, 
 wherein at least one of the supplying attachment part and the collecting attachment part includes a storing part to store the toner collected by the cleaning member. 
 
     
     
       18. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 17 ,
 wherein the case main body includes: 
 a large diameter cylinder part; 
 a small diameter cylinder part formed with a smaller diameter than the large diameter cylinder part and arranged at the first side in the attachment and detachment direction of the large diameter cylinder part; 
 a cylindrical piece formed with a smaller diameter than the small diameter cylinder part and arranged at the first side in the attachment and detachment direction of the small diameter cylinder part; 
 a first stepped part formed between the large diameter cylinder part and the small diameter cylinder part; and 
 a second stepped part formed between the small diameter cylinder part and the cylindrical piece, and 
 the storing part is formed at the supplying attachment part so that the storing part faces the second stepped part. 
 
     
     
       19. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 17 ,
 wherein the case main body includes: 
 a large diameter cylinder part; 
 a small diameter cylinder part formed with a smaller diameter than the large diameter cylinder part and arranged at the first side in the attachment and detachment direction of the large diameter cylinder part; 
 a cylindrical piece formed with a smaller diameter than the small diameter cylinder part and arranged at the first side in the attachment and detachment direction of the small diameter cylinder part; 
 a first stepped part formed between the large diameter cylinder part and the small diameter cylinder part; and 
 a second stepped part formed between the small diameter cylinder part and the cylindrical piece, and 
 the storing part is formed at the collecting attachment part so that the storing part faces the first stepped part.